Instruction: Gifted and Talented, Master of Education

Admission

Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information.

Admission to the Master of Education in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program requires the following:

1. Complete and submit the Graduate Application for Admission, accompanied by a non-refundable application fee. The application can be downloaded at www.wilmu.edu/admission/documents/paperapp.pdf
2. Submit an official transcript or transcripts verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Transcripts and all application documents should be sent to the Wilmington University Office of Graduate Admissions.
3. Submit official (and complete) score reports demonstrating mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute. *This requirement can be met by providing an official score report showing scores (including all sub-scores) on the ETS Praxis Series Core Academic Skills for Educators (ETS #5712, 5722, and 5732). Minimum acceptable scores are:

Test	Score
ETS 5712 Reading	156
ETS 5722 Writing	162
ETS 5732 Mathematics	150

4. Submit a valid United States teaching certificate.
5. International students must provide results from the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) that meet current minimum score requirements.
6. Schedule a program planning conference with a Graduate Program Advisor or the Program Chair.
7. Register for MED 6102 (E-Folio) along with other course(s) selected.

*NOTE: Candidates admitted prior to July 1, 2014 have until July 30, 2015 to fulfill this admissions requirement.

Program Purpose

The Master of Education in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program is designed for educators interested in teaching and developing programs for gifted and talented students. Candidates study research-based practices to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to enhance student learning and to ensure their effectiveness as teachers and leaders in the field of gifted and talented education. The program addresses research-based practices relating to curriculum development, promoting cognitive, social, and emotional development, and encouraging creativity, innovative and critical thinking.

Program Competencies

The standards and program competencies adopted for the Master of Education in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program are the National Gifted Education Standards issued by the National Association for Gifted Children, Council for Exceptional Children, and The Association for the Gifted (2013). The M.Ed. in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program is designed to enable candidates to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the following program competency standards:

Standard 1: Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences

Beginning gifted education professionals understand the variations in learning and development in cognitive and affective areas between and among individuals with gifts and talents and apply this understanding to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities.

Standard 2: Learning Environments

Beginning gifted education professionals create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments so that individuals with gifts and talents become effective learners and develop social and emotional well-being.

Standard 3: Curricular Content Knowledge

Beginning gifted education professionals use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to advance learning for individuals with gifts and talents.

Standard 4: Assessment

Beginning gifted education professionals use multiple methods of assessment and data sources in making educational decisions about identification of individuals with gifts and talents and student learning.

Standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies

Beginning gifted education professionals select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies3 to advance the learning of individuals with gifts and talents.

Standard 6: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

Beginning gifted education professionals use foundational knowledge of the field and professional ethical principles and programming standards to inform gifted education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession.

Standard 7. Collaboration

Beginning gifted education professionals collaborate with families, other educators, related-service providers, individuals with gifts and talents, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with gifts and talents across a range of learning experiences.

Outcomes Assessment

Multiple assessments are used to determine candidate growth toward achievement of the knowledge and skills described in the Master of Education in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program competencies and the college-wide graduation competencies. Performance-based assessments are used to evaluate fieldwork, projects, assignments, and research papers. Goals, learning outcomes and activities, external assignments, and assessment strategies are linked directly to program and graduation competencies as stated on each course syllabus. Other assessment strategies may include observations of performance-based projects in authentic settings and mentoring sessions. A standards-based presentation portfolio completed during the program will show the candidate’s level of expertise in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and dispositions described by the National Association for Gifted Education Standards. An exit PRAXIS II examination [Test Code 5358, Gifted Education, with a passing cut score of 157] is required to be taken, passed, and scores on record at Wilmington University prior to graduating.

Program Design

Candidates are expected to satisfactorily complete all requirements associated with the M.Ed. in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree program. The 33-credit program consists of 15 credit hours of content-specific courses related to gifted and talented learners and 18 credit hours of teaching and learning courses. The program requires that candidates be working in an educational setting to complete the program competency assignments and practicum. The degree program is offered in multiple formats: traditional, hybrid, and online. There is a non-credit E-Folio course requirement.

Course Requirements

Foundation Courses (18 credits)

Gifted and Talented Concentration Courses (15 credits)

Content and Performance Assessment Requirements

This is a state-approved degree program which contributes to eligibility for licensure and/or certification as an educator in Delaware public schools. As such, all candidates must meet the content and performance assessment requirements described in DE Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290.

The regulation states, in part:

Content Assessment (This subparagraph shall take effect January 1, 2015).

“Where a content readiness exam is applicable and available in area, subject, or category of specialization sought, the Candidate shall achieve a passing score on an examination as established by the Professional Standards Board, in consultation with the Department and with concurrence of the State Board.”

Performance Assessment (This subparagraph shall take effect July 1, 2016).

“Where a performance assessment is applicable and available in an area appropriate to the Program in which a Candidate is enrolled, the Candidate shall achieve a passing score as a requirement to Exit the Program. The performance assessment may not be scored by any employees of the Educator Preparation Program or Unit, and shall be scored by Certified Reviewers.”

The instrument selected by Wilmington University as a required exit assessment for the M.Ed. in Instruction: Gifted and Talented is ETS Praxis II, Test Code #5358, Gifted Education. The minimum acceptable score is 157. The assessment is administered and scored by ETS. It is the candidate’s responsibility to have PRAXIS II scores sent to Wilmington University directly from ETS (Educational Testing Service).

Candidates must obtain passing scores this exam in order to be eligible for conferral of the M.Ed. in Instruction: Gifted and Talented Education.

Candidates must consult with program advisors and/or the program chair to obtain the most current information about this graduation requirement.

Qualification for Degree

To qualify for the Master of Education in Instruction: Gifted and Talented degree, a candidate must successfully complete a minimum of 33 credit hours with a GPA of at least a 3.0 average, complete a standards-based presentation program portfolio, and earn a passing score (157) on the PRAXIS II, Test Code 5358, Gifted Education exit assessment. The standards-based presentation program portfolio shows the candidate’s level of expertise in acquiring the knowledge and skills described by the National Gifted Education Standards. The degree program must be completed within five years.

Delaware Certification - Teacher of Students Who Are Gifted and Talented

Current Delaware Department of Education regulations (DE Title 14, §1572) permit individuals who hold an initial continuing, advanced license, or a Limited Standard, Standard or Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003, and who hold a Standard Certificate in a subject (content), grade level, or area, to apply for a State of Delaware Standard Certificate as a Teacher of Students Who Are Gifted and Talented after successfully completing five (5) Wilmington University College of Education courses: The Gifted and Talented Child (3 credits); Psychology of Gifted and Talented Learners (3 credits); Creativity and Critical Thinking (3 credits); Curriculum Design and Instructional Strategies for Gifted and Talented Learners (3 credits); and Practicum: Gifted and Talented Learners (3 credits), and earn a passing score (157) on the ETS Praxis II, Test Code 5358, Gifted Education.

However, certification requirements are subject to change by the Delaware Department of Education and the Professional Standards Board. The most recent information about those requirements can be accessed at the Delaware Department of Education/Professional Standards Board website: http://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title14/1500/index.shtml

NOTES:

Any changes in Delaware licensure and certification regulations could cause Wilmington University to make course and/or program adjustments in order to align with new or revised state requirements. Wilmington University reserves the right to change requirements to comply with any licensure/certification mandates of the Delaware Department of Education.